Gout or hyperuricemia is a rheumatic condition causing swelling and pain in the joints. It affects more frequently men, but anyone between the age of 14 and 75 can get the disease. The arthritic symptoms usually last a few minutes but can extend up to a few days and produce major discomfort if no medication is administered. Patients must know there are several drugs that can help them prevent acute attacks or at least treat the symptoms in case of one. According to ones health and lifestyle, Gout may give a few acute attacks per year.

The main symptoms of hyperuricemia are actually caused by the accumulation of high amounts of uric acid in the joints, a consequence of an increased blood level. When high concentrations of uric acid get into the blood, a part of the acid is stimulated to settle in the joints in crystallized form and produces the painful symptoms. Gout can be easily misdiagnosed as it very much resembles other conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. Common symptoms of the diseases are inflammation, irritation, heat, pain and stiffness of the affected joints.

A way of getting rid of the pain at least for a while is the physician's recommendation to drink higher amounts of water to dilute the seric uric acid. Alcohol must also be avoided as it leads to an increase of the uric acid in the blood; beer is the most dangerous alcoholic beverage.

Dieticians advise patients to avoid food with high content of purines like food rich in proteins or low carbohydrate food. Purinic bases break down into uric acid and may lead to the occurrence of Gout attacks. Such dangerous food is mushrooms, sardines, shrimp and beans.

According to the latest researches, the causes of Gout are more complex, as it can also be inherited or result as a complication of other medical conditions. The resistance to insulin can trigger Gout as well. The genetic cause of hyperuricemia may lie in an enzymatic defect interfering with the normal breakdown of the purines and causing Gout in several members of the family. About 20% of the new detected Gout cases are inherited from other family members.

Poor diets are usually rich in Purinic bases and may lead to the occurrence of gout, as well as obese organisms that contain high amounts of uric acid. Environmental factors are proved to play an important role in Gout as well. Low aspirin doses, ant cancerous drugs, diuretics, Niacin, Cyclosporine and anti high blood pressure pills also trigger Gout attacks.

The most common causes of Gout have been defined as resulting from the accumulation of uric crystals in the joints. As the condition may be hereditary, an early medical consult might help you control and cure the disease from the beginning of the attacks.